When the real becomes unreal
by WaterPower
Summary: Castle invite Beckett to take a walk in Central Park after a case. But that walk won't end as planed. Things will became complicated for our two heroes. This story happens before Always. Rick and Kate are not together yet.
1. Prologue

**Hi guys ! This is my first fanfiction in English (Which is not my first language). I hope you'll like it ! :) **

**Please, leave me some review at the end so I can know what you thought about it. Reviews motivates me. **

**This prologue is not really long but the next chapters will be longer.**

**Enjoy! :) **

* * *

**When the real becomes unreal**

**Prologue**

It was 5pm at the precinct. I was sat in my usual chair watching Beckett complete some paperwork for a particularly difficult case. The boys had already left. As it was the weekend and the case was closed, Gates allowed us to go home early. I couldn't rely on Becket to go home until she had finished the paperwork. I therefore stayed with her to keep her company. I looked desperately around for something to change her mind when suddenly I had an idea.

"Beckett?" I called.

"Hum?" she responded without looking up from her work.

"Would you like to come for a walk in Central Park with me? It's a lovely warm day outside and it would take our minds off the case."

She raised her gaze to meet mine. I watched cheerfully for a response. She seemed to weigh the pros and cons for a few seconds.

"Why not!" She said with a smile I like so much.

"Great!" I said rising from my chair, as she did the same.

She picked up her stuff and we walked together to the elevator, heading towards Central Park.

Arriving at the park, we began our walk side by side talking about everything and nothing. I spoke about Alexis, my mother and her events and made some jokes to hear her laugh. I love to see her happy and can't imagine my life without seeing her smile like that anymore. Beckett then also confided in me about some times she spent with her parents she was a little girl. And she had this spark in her eyes which proved at this point that these moments were special for her. After one hour of walking we arrived in a corner quite remote where I usually walk in Central Park. We continued our walk always in discussion when a strange sound rang out.

"Beckett! You know that?" I said, always listening.

"Hum, no what Castle?" She asked.

"There was a strange noise over there!"

The noise rang out a second time but this time, a lot louder.

"What was that?" Kate asked with a horrified look.

"Ah you have heard this time!" I said as I lead her towards the place the sound came from.

"Castle! Where are you going?" She shouted after me.

"To see what is making that strange noise!"

"Wait for me!"

She rejoined me and we pushed into some trees and bushes towards the place the noise originated, every step making it more and more difficult.

"What do you think it is?" Kate asked me in a murmur.

"I have no idea, you?" I said in the same tone.

"I don't know either"

The noise continued and suddenly, nothing. I didn't even have time to look at Kate before everything went black.

**Did you like it? :D **


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey Guys ! I'm back :) **

**So this is the chapter 1. I hope you'll like it! Thank you for those who let a review. Don't forget to give me one at the end of this chapter so I can know what you thought about it. :) **

**I hope this fanfic will distract you from the 4 months of hiatus ;)**

**Enjoy !**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Beckett:**

The sound of birdsong woke me up. Regaining consciousness little by little, I became aware of an incredible headache. I remembered. Castle, Central Park, the strange noise, then nothing. I opened my eyes quickly. Too quickly! The daylight was blinding, forcing them closed immediately. A few seconds passed before I decided to reopen them, more slowly this time. Castle was sitting beside me. He was watching me. Then he looked around us. I also turned my head. We were in the woods, but not those of Central Park. The trees were different and birds were singing.

"Where are we?" I asked my partner.

"I have no idea Beckett! I have only been awake for a minute. In any case we are no longer in Central Park and I don't know how long we were out but if you want my opinion, the night has already passed."

"And you remember what exactly?"

"I remember that we went to look for the source of the strange noise and after that, nothing. Just black until now. And you?"

"No more than that either."

This seemed strange to me. Castle knew no more than me about past events. How could one lose their memories so easily? And above all, what had the power to make both of us lose our memories at the same moment? Unless we had been drugged, I couldn't see another explanation. In any case, at least one person was behind all this as they had taken their lifeless bodies in the unknown woods.

"Well, I am not going to spend all day here. I don't know what time it is but I think we should go to the police station. We have to tell the boys before they start worrying. Besides, do you have your mobile on you?

Castle looked for a few seconds before replying that he didn't have it. I didn't have mine either. And our watches had stopped working. The situation became decidedly more and more strange. We got up and headed in a random direction so we could leave the woods. There was no noise of traffic, and nobody walking nearby. It was strange. Finally, after a short time which felt like an eternity we arrived on a dirt road. We were on a high hill. There was greenery as far as the eye could see and no sign of life. But what was more bizarre was the castle which we noticed far away. The medieval castle appeared to be in excellent condition, like it had been built recently. A flag I didn't know was hung from the top of a tower. Whilst I had seen many things, I had not seen this type of castle in the United States, and certainly not in New York!

The noise of wheels could be heard on the path behind us. We backed away onto the side of the road to see what it was. Two carriages suddenly appeared from nowhere, each pulled by four horses, looking like they'd stepped right out of the Middle Ages. I glanced at Castle who looked at me with a huge smile, as if the situation was not worrying. On the contrary, he seemed to be having fun. The first carriage stopped and a man, well dressed (but not in clothes of our time), addressed us.

"Welcome to you! I am Sir Pride." He said. "Your subjects warned me of your arrival Sir Castle. But judging by your clothes, it seems that some misfortune has forsaken you during your journey." He said all this without daring to look directly into our eyes, almost as if it was a mark of respect. "Please get into the second carriage and I will take you back to my castle. We shall provide you with more suitable clothes."

The coach driver of the second carriage led us to the wagon and opened the door so we could climb inside. To be honest we didn't really have a choice. It was a stressful situation, both worrying and irritating me. Castle saw I was concerned about what was happening. Them I spoke.

"What era of history have we fallen into? I asked.

"But it's obvious Beckett! We have crossed a temporal fault and we have landed in England during the Middle Ages!" He replied with a big smile, apparently proud of himself.

"Seriously! Stop with your stupid theories and look for a way we can get out of here." I scolded.

It was true that I appreciated his humour, even in critical situations, but that one did nothing to raise my spirits.

"In any case, there is no castle like that in New York. And you heard the way he spoke? And that accent? My theory is plausible!"

"Time travel doesn't exist Castle. Some freak must be playing a trick on us, that's all. And it's probably a fan of yours since he knew your name. We'll see where it goes. But I cannot see a tarmac road on the horizon and I can't hear any vehicles ..." After I spoke, I said nothing more...

Castle was right, I hadn't seen anything like this before. But for him to say that we had returned to the Middle Ages was exaggerating a little. It was Castle all over. Although it was better that I was there with him rather than all alone or with someone whom I don't know. Plus I would be bored without his eccentric theories. But the truth was, at that moment, I wanted to escape where we were and return to my own bed, not listen to his theories.

The carriage stopped abruptly. A quick glance out the window showed me that we had arrived at the castle and were waiting for the drawbridge to be lowered. Once it was down, the carriage resumed it's journey forward and we entered the enclosed castle walls. There were hundreds of people upon the streets of the castle. It was very impressive. All of them wearing clothing of the time. And by judging their clothes, you could tell these people were not very rich, peasants I thought. But as we entered they greeted and cheered for us. And not the carriage of Sir Pride. But our carriage. Us. Why did everyone expect us? Why did everyone know us? What the fuck was this place? I tried not to believe for a second that Castle's theory was right, but at that moment, it was difficult. We travelled along the roads in the direction of the castle which was built high up on a hill. And the more we travelled through the streets, the more we saw of this different world and its people. One could read a certain sense excitement on their faces. It was like we were celebrities. Of course Castle was already one but I hadn't experienced this lifestyle before. Castle had begun to greet the crowds as if this was normal.

"CASTLE!" I scolded.

"Beckett, the crowd are cheering us. And it is normal to greet them in return. I don't know who they think we are but we must be important people in their eyes."

"But we must stop this game immediately. It is not like I'm unhappy to be considered a princess, or whichever character they believe me to be, but all this is totally unreal. It is pure madness. And we need to find a way out of here. And immediately!"

"But unless this castle has a serious flaw, I don't think we have the power to escape just like that." He said.

"Stop with your history knowledge for a moment Castle. A time for us to exit with my ba... MY BADGE! I don't have my badge. Nor my glock! When the fuck did I lose them?"

"Calm down Beckett And relax a bit. For two seconds, be a princess and tomorrow, I promise that I will find a way out of here. In any event, I'm sure they will return them to you."

He had spoken calmly whilst giving me his beautiful smile. The one that makes me melt in an instant. The one that makes me crack every time. And this time was no exception. I relaxed a little bit. I decided to enjoy this strange turn of events, and wait to see what tomorrow brings. He wanted to know if Beckett could have fun? Then I'd show him ... At least, if the day's events allowed, a point on which I was uncertain. Because I didn't have any idea what this day held for us.

The carriage stopped: we had arrived. The coachman opened the door for us with a theatrical gesture which made me want to laugh but I refrained. We entered the castle through a small door, from which nobody could see us. A servant led us to a bedroom. Just the one room for the two of us. Naturally they assumed I was "promised" to him. And asking for another bedroom would have looked bad. I granted Castle one day, and no more. Sleeping one night in his bed would be sufficiently unbearable, I could not manage a second. A maidservant knocked on the door then entered. She gave clothes they judged "appropriate" to Castle who went to get changed behind one of the folding screens in the room. As for me, the maidservant helped me to put on the dress she had brought behind a second screen. She threaded up the corset for me, then she tightened the laces. She tightened them so extremely that I couldn't breathe for a few seconds. That horrible thing made drawing breath very difficult. Fortunately we don't have to wear them nowadays. Then I slipped on the dress they brought for me to wear.

**Castle:**

Beckett returned from behind the folding screen. She was wearing a magnificent green dress, which followed the curves of her body and perfectly matched her emerald eyes. It had a gold coloured ribbon around her neck which had three other small, green ribbons attached, fixing the robe in place. The top of the dress was made from velvet then, starting at the waist, it was entirely covered in green feathers. She had a low neckline, accentuating by the coloured ribbons, which highlighted her breasts. She looked like a true princess with that dress on. No words could describe how beautiful she was at that precise moment...

**Beckett:**

I came out from behind the screen and the maidservant left us. Castle was ready, waiting expectantly. He looked me over from head to toe: perhaps he found me beautiful. He was also splendid, wearing a dark blue tunic, made of velvet like my dress, which fell over of black leggings. He wore boots which came up to just below his knees. A little laugh escaped. I was not used to seeing him like that. He looked good and actually resembled a real prince but the situation was rather comical. Nevertheless I preferred him when he wore a suit and tie.

"What's so funny Kate?"

My head was so confused, I doubled over laughing even more. Then suddenly, everything returned to my brain and it all became clear. Kate. My name was Kate. I liked it when he called me by my first name. But this closeness with him frightened me a little.

"You are splendid." He murmured as if he was talking to himself.

I managed him a smile as a thanks. We had become more informal with each other. I was not irritated, but I knew that when he heard the compliment and the closeness of our language, that he would get other ideas in his head. Ideas which did not displease me but I was not ready for that change in our relationship yet. I still needed a little time. A servant knocked on our door and entered. He told us we were to wait in a room until we were taken to dinner in a reception room. Super! But why did we still have to wait? Castle offered me his elbow. I linked my arm underneath and we left together. The servant closed our door and we walked towards the reception room.

**Castle:**

I did not know what Kate found so funny but I thought my clothes may have been part of it. In any case, I preferred it when she was laughing to when she was sad. We arrived at the reception room. As we entered, the servant who had accompanied us so far asked us to wait for a few seconds. He went to whisper something in the ear of a guard with a trumpet. I threw an anxious look to Kate who returned it. The guard put the trumpet to his mouth. He played a short melody then proclaimed in a strong voice:

"The Prince and Princess of Scotland!"

Then just like that I was the Prince of Scotland. And Kate was my wife. This idea hardly displeased me! I looked at Kate with a big smile, she raised her eyes to the sky and despite her efforts to prevent it, a smile appeared on her lips. The servant invited us into the room. It was a big room with a high ceiling in the middle, painted impressively and had many candles hung from it. There were lots of guests. We found ourselves behind a long wooden table where Sir Pride sat with his wife and what I imagined to be other important people. Only two places were empty, in the middle, just beside Sir Pride: ours. Silence fell across the room upon our arrival and everyone looked at us. I sensed Kate grip a bit tighter on my arm, as this attention directed at us put her on edge.

**Beckett:**

I hate it when people stare at me. I already hated it with Castle back in New York. But this time it was even worst! There was about fifty set of eyes fixed on me and Castle, watching our every move and gesture. I didn't even know how to hold myself. Castle seemed to be enjoying himself. Maybe he thought he was living in one of his novels. And he was accustomed to being looked at by a lot of people. However I was not enjoying the situation at all. I wanted to return to my normal life and fast! But apparently nobody here wanted to let me go home. Not even Castle who, unlike me, seemed to be having a lot of fun here. He led us to our chairs, which looked rather like thrones. He pulled mine out for me to sit down, then he went to sit in his, waving to the room, taking his role very seriously, and finally sat down. He looked at me and smiled, proud of himself.

**Castle:**

To be mistaken for a prince proved to be rather fun. I felt like I was in a child's make-believe play, but better. The meal finally began. There was so much! Lots of vegetables, lots of different meats, but there was not cutlery! That did not stop me at all. On the contrary! For the first time I could eat with my fingers without anyone shouting at me! But Beckett beside me did not share my enthusiasm. Apparently she did not like that very much.

"Come on Kate, it's fun to eat with your hands! And you have the chance. People here don't know you in the real world, so let yourself go. Enjoy this a little." I said with a wink.

She smiled at me. Then in a slightly hesitant move, she took a fat, greasy chicken leg and brought it to her mouth. It was funny to see Beckett eating with her hands. The guard with the trumpet played a melody and announced the beginning of the festivities. The jokers, with a small bells on their hats, passed in front of us. They began to perform lots of different acrobatics and also played with fire. It felt like being at a circus. When I considered what was happening, Beckett was right. All that had happened since we arrived had been completely surreal!

**Beckett:**

It was total madness. I got the impression that we were in another reality. Beside me Rick was amused at everything that was happening, but I could feel that he also started to find this bizarre. The jokers all paraded in front of us, one after another. They all had a different number. Their purpose was to make us laugh, which worked on everyone else but not Castle and I. We were no longer interested, too preoccupied with looking for a way to leave that place. The more time passed, the more I felt bad. For three hours we were at the table with the jokers performed in front of us. I couldn't stay any longer, I was sat uncomfortably on the wooden throne and my lungs began to hurt. The dress I wore was too tight. It was beautiful but I was not made to wear those kinds of clothes. And I didn't feel good at all in my role as a princess. Certainly, any little girl would dream about being where I was, but I didn't like being the centre of attention. I wanted to leave.

**Castle:**

Beckett had been twisting in her chair for some time. I could sense her impatience and I acknowledged to her that I too wanted to leave. In hindsight, it had been wrong of me to play along. This historical world was bizarre, and I wanted more and more to return to my little, normal and insignificant life. I wanted to see my mother and Alexis. Beckett leaned over and placed her hand on my arm, indicating to me that something was not right. I tuned to look at her. She was completely white and her gaze was fixed on an invisible point above my head.

"Beckett? Are you ok?" I asked.

"I need air ..."

"Kate, we cannot leave yet. I want to leave also but ..."

"Rick! I do not feel well..."

I was worried now. She never called me by my first name, and that made the situation so much more unnerving. . I wanted her to know that I was here for her, that everything was going to be alright, so I put my hand in hers. She didn't stop me, giving me another reason to worry.

**Beckett:**

Rick put his hand in mine. To show me his support I imagine. Only I didn't need his support, at least not like that. I needed air. My head was killing me. I began to feel weak and everything became fuzzy. I rose to leave, pushing myself out of the wooden seat. I felt heavy, terribly heavy. Everything slowed down. Finally I managed to stand up but immediately, a violent dizzy spell came over me and I collapsed at once to the ground. I heard Rick cry my name, I heard his chair move back. The I felt one of his soft of strong hands on my face. On my cheek first, then on my forehead. Then nothing. Complete blackness. Once again.

**Soo ? :)**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Castle:

Kate collapsed in front of me. I rushed to her and called out but she didn't respond. I took her face in my hands; she was becoming more and more white. An "oooh" resounded from the crowd. This society took her for a princess so it was natural for them to worry, but there was nothing I could do to help her. People present began to come over to see what had happened. I had to act quickly. I picked her up in my arms to take her to our bedroom. I was surprised at how light she was and I could not help but appreciate holding her against me, in my arms. I hurried towards the door to leave the room. Sir Pride was at my heels, he opened the doors and accompanied us as far as our bedroom where he once again opened the door. I placed Kate on the bed.

"Sir Castle, do you need help?" Sir Pride asked.

"Er no, you may go! I will call you if I need anything." I said to him quickly.

"Very good, I will stay in the vicinity." And he left.

I went to look for some water in a jug beside the porcelain basin. I poured the water into a glass and took it to the side of the bed. I soaked a linen cloth and placed it over Kate's face.

"My dear Kate, what has caused this poor state?" I said, panicked.

I reflected over the past few hours and tried desperately to think of something which had caused Kate's sickness, Then, smiling, I had an epiphany. The dress! It was from a time in which women wore corsets which they tightened, therefore making it hard to breathe. She had been asking for air, so that must have been it! I could think of no other explanation. With no small amount of courage, I began to remove the dress. Honestly, I would have preferred to be have been doing so under different circumstances. After I had removed the top of the dress, I surveyed the corset. I tore it off her, not taking the time to undo the laces one by one. I saw Kate open her eyes and take a deep breath.

Beckett:

I breathed again, at last! I looked around me but couldn't work out where I was. I shut my eyes for a few seconds then everything returned to me. Castle, our arrival at the castle, the dinner and at this point I couldn't remember any more. I could feel someone watching me, turning my head I saw Castle. I lowered my gaze to my clothes: I was half naked!

"Castle!" I shouted. "Turn around!"

"Beckett, let me explain!" He said as he turned his back to me.

"No there is nothing here to be explained."

Irritated would not have been a strong enough word to describe how I felt at that moment. I was livid! How dare he? I pulled on some kind of shirt which was lying on the bed. Then there was a knock on the door.

"Can I let them in?" Asked Castle who still had his back to me.

"Yes you may." I responded a little dryly

He moved towards the door, sighing, and opened it.

Castle:

"Sir Castle, I have come to take news of your dear and tender. Is she better?" Asked Sir Pride.

"Yes she is better, thank you."

"Good, I shall not trouble you any longer. Please do not hesitate to ask if you need my services."

"Very well, thank you."

I closed the door and then turned to look Kate, hoping to be finally able to explain myself. Unfortunately, she didn't look willing to listen to me. She was behind the screen and seemed unwilling to leave. Well, I would do anything for her, but it seemed she was building her defensive walls up around herself. I would probably, at least I hoped, be more likely to succeed later. So I decided to go and visit the village around the castle. I had briefly spotted several things when we were in the carriage and most importantly, a blacksmiths. I had always dreamed since I was a little boy about visiting a forge from this era.

"Beckett, I am going to do a tour of the village, I will meet you later." I quickly left the bedroom.

Beckett:

I heard the door slam. Off he went on his little tour. To be honest, I didn't really want to talk to him, especially after what happened. I came out from behind the screen, dragging my feet. I lay sprawled out on our bed and drew in a deep breath. We were already in an impossible situation, not having learnt how nor why we had arrived here and to top it off we had had an unnecessary argument. As if we needed this extra problem! And it was my fault because I didn't allow him to explain. After all, he had removed the corset which had prevented me from breathing and, in reflection, he may have saved my life. Once again I had acted like a fool, not looking to understand. Now, he was gone. I would present my excuses when he returned. Hopefully it wouldn't be too late.

I got off the bed and decided to put my dress back on, seeing as I had no others and I couldn't wear my own clothes. I redressed but without the corset. That thing had done enough damage for one day.

"Well what am I going to do now that Castle is gone?" I thought aloud.

I looked around me and to tell the truth, there was not much in the bedroom. A large enough bed, two screen and two wardrobes. In other words, very little. Well I had to get out of that bedroom. I decided to go to look for a servant or whomever crossed my path. I opened the door and headed in the direct of the room we had been in that afternoon. With a little luck, I would find someone.

"Oh welcome back Mrs Castle, are you feeling better now?" Said a servant.

_Mrs. Castle__,_ I had to admit it sounded good! But I'd rather hear it in other circumstances.

"Yes, I'm much better, thank you." I said with a smile

"May I help you with something Mrs Castle?"

"Yes please, Cast ... Erm my husband has gone to take a tour of the village and I don't know what to do while I wait for him to return. Is there a library in the castle?"

"Oh of course ma'am. I will take you there. Follow me."

She led me to the castle library or should I say the vast castle library. The walls were huge and covered in books and there were tall ladders to reach the top. Good job I don't have vertigo. There were wooden chairs places around the room with a few small tables adorned with candles.

"Here we are Mrs Castle. I hope you enjoy."

"Yes great, thank you very much."

"Just one more thing: another servant will bring the dress for tonight's ball to your bedroom at 8pm. See you later Mrs Castle." Said the servant as she left the room.

Did I hear right? A ball? She had to be kidding me?! Great! Earlier I could barely walk in the dress and now they were going to give me another one. And for dancing as well! I walked towards the books and began to look for one which would give me a hint about our arrival in the "Middle Ages". It would be nice to have an indication of some kind! All the books stored there were from the era. And nothing seemed suspicious. I turned my head so I could see if I had missed something, when I saw a man wearing a black suit and tie and black sunglasses. As I watched, he went into another corridor. I had to find this man as I thought he might know something! Suit and ties didn't exist in the Middle Ages so this man must also be from the modern day. I began to run in search of the man but my dress limited my movements considerably. By the time I arrived at the corridor, the man had disappeared. Impossible to find again...

Castle:

I left the castle with a little difficulty; there were so many corridors that I didn't know how I had found the front door alone! Anyway, I was finally out. The guards who were at the door had offered to accompany me because they did not want me to leave alone on the streets of the castle, in case something were to happen to me.

I descended the streets in search of the famous blacksmith which I'd seen that morning. All the people came outside to greet me as if I was a celebrity! I was already one but I could not help but appreciate it. I was able to read a certain expression of wonder and excitement in their eyes, like that morning when I had been in the carriage with Beckett.

_Beckett._I truly hoped that this argument would settle because I couldn't handle it when we quarrelled. I greeted the people and returned their handshakes or made a sign with a smile. After half an hour of walking though the streets, I saw the blacksmiths' forge I had seen that morning. I walked towards it with a smile and knocked on the door.

"Who's there?" I heard.

"Cast... Erm Sir Castle".

I heard a lot of noise coming from the interior as they were frantically putting everything in order.

"Sir Castle, welcome! To what do I owe the honour of your visit ?" The blacksmith asked me, a little embarrassed.

"Eh well, I have always appreciated blacksmiths and I wanted to know whether it would be possible to visit yours." I said with a smile.

"Of course! How can I refuse that to a man of your standing?" He said whilst moving aside to allow me to enter.

"Thank you! May I asked your name?" I asked smiling, trying get the man to relax a little.

"My name is Allan."

"Very well, I am pleased to meet you Allan." I said, as he extended his hand towards mine with a smile.

"Please make yourself at home. I have to finish this sword but do not hesitate to ask me if you need anything."

"Of course, thank you Allan." I answered cheerfully.

I began to make a tour of the forge. It was quite dark but I see well enough. The blacksmiths' fire gave out a little light. It was a rather large room and there were lots of tools but it was very tidy, and each tools had its place. After a little reflection, I wondered where Allan was sleeping. There was no bed or place for him at all.

"Allan, if I may be permitted, where do you sleep?" I asked.

"Up above, there is ladder at the far end to get up there." He replied.

"Of course. What do you like most about running your business?"

"I like everything about my job but I have a little preference towards making swords."

"That's true, those ones that you made are magnificent!"

"Thank you very much Sir Castle."

It had been a while since I had left the castle so I decided to return.

"Allan, I must return to the castle. I sincerely thank you for allowing me to visit your forge. It is splendid as is your work."

"You are too kind Sir Castle, and thank you."

"I hope we meet again Allan." I said as he strongly clasped my hand and shook it.

"Goodbye Sir Castle." He answered, smiling.

I left the blacksmiths with a final wave to Allan and headed towards the castle. All was 'normal' here. These people were seemingly not actors as that was a real business. Or they were playing their parts very well. Suddenly, at a street corner, I saw a man in a black suit with black sunglasses. I was curious and began to run towards him to speak but he disappeared down another street and by the time I arrived at the place I last saw him, he had vanished. The man was living proof that we were not in the Middle Ages. Then he must also have crossed the temporal rift ... In any case, Beckett would be happy when I tell her that we are not alone.

Beckett:

I had not found anything in that damn library. I decided to return to our bedroom to wait for Castle who was due back soon, at least I hoped. So I walked back up to our bedroom where I opened the door and saw Castle who was lying on our bed.

"Oh Castle, you have returned!"

"Yes, I was expecting you." He said, getting up.

"I wanted to talk about earlier, I reacted foolishly and didn't wait to hear an explanation. But I have thought about it and you may have saved my life removing that corset so please, accept my apologies." I declared.

"I accept your apology but on one condition."

I looked at him in surprise. He was going to impose conditions. What would he ask of me this time?

"We never talk about that incident." He said smiling.

"Of course." I said returning his grin, relieved.

"So what did you do during my absence?"

"I went to the castle library. I had to change my thought. In fact it offered me a new theory. I saw a man who, in my opinion, doesn't come from this time period either but I couldn't speak to him. He disappeared and I could not find him again. And you, did the tour of the town go well?

"Yes very we'll, I met a blacksmith called Allan and I visited the forge. It was great!" He said smiling at me. "But I also saw the man who didn't seem to fit the time as you said. He was wearing a black suit and tie and black sunglasses. But again, he disappeared before I could catch up to him."

"At least, we are no longer here alone! It gives us hope! And it's not that I don't like it here, but tomorrow it is imperative that we find our way out of here. If we could just talk to one of these guys..."

"You're right!"

Somebody knocked at the door. Castle looked at me intrigued. Was it the black suit and tie guy?


	4. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! :D I'm glad that you all liked the previous chapter! This chapter is, in my opinion, better :) I had to warm you, I'm a sadistic author and I love cruel chapter endings. Hope you'll survive the chapter ^^ **

**I'm waiting for your feeds back! I really need them to know if my characters are okay or not :)**

**Enjoy ;)**

* * *

Chapter 3

**Castle:**

A maid entered the bedroom. She asked me to leave because I was not supposed to see Kate's dress before the ball. THE BALL? THERE'S A BALL? I hadn't been told anything and had wanted to enjoy a quiet night in with Kate. Although, she showed no surprise and was clearly already aware of this event. The maid explained to us that we were to open the ball upon our arrival in the hall, and then all the other couples could join us.

Another maid was waiting for me outside the door to accompany me to a different bedroom where I would also prepare for this famous ball. I followed her reluctantly, I didn't want to leave my muse alone in this strange place in the hands of a maid. She led me into a room on a different floor. The maid helped me to remove the clothes that I was wearing, but luckily, she left me with the linen top I wore under my suit and my underwear. I told her that I would like to wash. Well, obviously, showers didn't exist. She pointed to an adjacent room where there was a large iron bowl which looked like a bathtub.

"The water was added a few minutes ago, and it is still hot. I will return in half an hour with your outfit for the ball, Sir Castle." She said.

Then she went, and I was left alone to take my bath. I was truly lucky to be treated as a prince here. Who knows what would have happened if we had been mistaken for peasants! We would probably be washing in a tiny bowl with cold water and sleeping on straw! I removed the rest of the clothes I was wearing and then climbed into the 'bathtub'. The water was actually hot, which relaxed me. There was a small bar of something on the shelf beside the bathtub, which looked like soap. I couldn't see a brand, or any known symbol. It had to be handmade. Certainly, these people went to great lengths to make this madness seem real! There were also towels provided. Once again, everything seemed normal. Nothing indicated that we were victims of a hoax, nothing came from our modern times. That began to really worry me. And the worst part was that we were unable to investigate what was going on ourselves because we were obliged to attend these events and were being watched at all times. The maid would be coming back soon. I climbed out of the bath, dried myself with the towel and returned to the bedroom to put on some clean clothes.

**Beckett:**

Once more, Rick and I were separated. There was always someone watching us. No more than five minutes had passed with just the two of us since we arrived. The maid helped me to remove my dress. Then she invited me to wash in the next room, leaving me alone. If only I had my cellphone, I'd able to call Rick! I began to investigate the bathroom from top to bottom. But nothing. No evidence to prove that we had fallen into a trap and that we actually had always been in the modern world. I finally gave up and returned to the deep bowl which served as a bathtub. To my surprise, the water was hot. That relaxed me a little, and was much needed after the crazy day I'd had. Only a book with a certain author's name on it was missing at that precise moment. Or even Richard Castle himself ... Anyway ... I started thinking about recent events. I had no idea what to expect about the evening ahead of us. After a while, I got out of the bath, took a towel and returned to our bedroom. A maid arrived a few minutes later. She helped me with my ball dress. This dress was even worse than the first. And of course, the servant brought a corset. I asked for it to be less tight, saying it as if it was an order. After all, if they saw me as a princess I may as well take advantage of this. She tightened it as I asked, then helped me into my dress. I could tell this dress was going to be more horrible to wear than the first one. But it was beautiful. The maid spent a lot of time getting me ready. She began to put kind of flexible, light, metal cage around my waist which would add volume to the dress. Then she pulled on the dress, taking care to not damage it. After a moment, I saw myself in the mirror. It was a beautiful pale violet dress which truly made me look like a princess. Violet was my favorite color, but they couldn't have known that, could they? I felt like I was in some kind of 'love story' movie which followed the life of a king in Europe in the Middle Ages. As I was admiring my beautiful dress, I wondered what Rick would be wearing. They put so much care and thought into making us look beautiful. But whilst I was fantasising about the different clothes Rick might be wearing, the maid interrupted my thoughts:

"Your dress is comfortable for you Mrs Castle?

"Yes very good, thank you." I replied as I realised there was a silly grin on my face at the mention of my name.

"If you could come and take a seat, the makeup has just arrived."

I was so lost in my thoughts I didn't hear that someone else had arrived. Then just like that, I went to be made up and styled. My God! I had never been so well attended to in all my life. She began to put a sort of powder which was lightly tinted on my face. Then she added a violet colour to my eyelids and she finished off using a black pencil as eye liner. Then she pulled my hair back into a beautiful bun, letting some strands fall loose around my face. When I opened my eyes, I hardly recognised myself. Everything about my appearance was completely in contrast to myself normally and, it was true to say, I was not displeased to be someone else for once. And Rick who thought I was beautiful before this! I wondered what he would say when he saw me like this!

**Castle:**

The maid entered the bedroom a little after I had finished. She brought my outfit for the ball and helped me to put it on. This time, I had white leggings with black boots. The top was velvet, like before, but this one was violet. But what caught my attention was the special little shoulder pads that rested on my shoulders. They looked a little bit like those worn by Snow White, except it was not striped yellow and red, but grey and violet. This made me snigger. Already the clothes looked silly but on top of this I thought I looked like a girl, and that was even more ridiculous. But the worst was that it didn't stop there. The maid returned to me with a white cape in her hands. She attached the fabric using hooks already sewn in, on both the cape and the tunic, between my neck and shoulders. This addition made the outfit very heavy. It was horrible! How was I supposed to dance in this? I danced well in a suit but with this clown-like outfit ... And what was Kate going to think when she saw me? With the many opportunities this outfit afforded her, she was clearly going to make fun. When the maid had finished getting me ready, she indicted I go to sit down in front of a small mirror. My cape forced me to walk differently. I felt like I was being pulled down to the floor with the weight of it, and it made my steps feel heavy. There was no way I could be graceful in this! Once I was sat down, the maid approached me. She styled my hair and then asked me to wait patiently for a little while because not all of the guests for the ball had arrived yet. Then she left. I took advantage of the time and my solitude to practice walking in my cape. The more I walked, the more my step lightened. Eventually I began to get used to the stupid outfit. I raised my head and stepped in front of the mirror. After looking at myself for a while I decided that my outfit didn't suit me so badly after all. Actually, I found myself ruggedly handsome in it! I wouldn't be able to understand if Kate didn't feel something when she saw me!

**Beckett:**

The maid eventually came to get me to escort into the ballroom. Arriving at the doors to the room, the maid went to find the trumpet player who would be announcing my arrival. Rick was not there. He would be entering through another door. The maid explained that we would meet in the middle of the hall and open the ball. Two trumpet players started up in the room then two voices announced our entrance in perfect synchronising:

"Let the ball commence! Here are the prince and princess of Scotland!"

watch?v=mvuqS0nxFvA

I entered at that moment. Rick also entered from the door opposite to mine. The music began and with that, we began to walk towards one another. He look magnificent in his violet outfit, I noticed with delight. It was even better than I had imagined. Ooh la la, but I had to stop thinking about him like that! I could feel myself blushing. Luckily I had a little make up on to cover it up. We met in the middle of the room. He opened his arms, we joined each other and began to dance, happy to be reunited.

"You are sublime Kate! You almost make me want to stay in this place, just so I can see you this beautiful every day." He whispered in my ear.

"You don't look so bad yourself Rick. But I will make an effort to be less beautiful in the future so you are more inclined to help me figure out a way back home!" I said with a mischievous look.

I saw a look of surprise in his eyes as I spoke informally with him. It was true that I almost never lowered my formality with him, but here I decided to play his game. I didn't have to be myself here so I may as well enjoy it.

**Castle:**

I couldn't believe it! Kate had called me by my first name and she had become increasingly informal for the first time in years. A silly smile broke out on my face as she spoke. We stared into each others eyes, still dancing. I was looking down at her and she raised her eyes to meet mine. She had no heels on which made her shorter than usual but I didn't mind and it seemed she didn't either. Everything else was blurred around us. Nothing else was important. It was just her and me. We were close together, moving to the rhythm, our bodies in perfect harmony. Our dance was so light that I felt like I was floating. I loved getting lost in her emerald green eyes! But, as usual, she turned away. It was as if she was scared by what she might see in my eyes. But I didn't turn away from her. I was mesmerised by her beauty. But I began bit by bit to become aware of the applause around us. People were supposed to join us on the dance floor but this had not happened. They were all too interested watching the chemistry between me and my partner. The music eventually finished. We ended the dance at the same time. Kate shot me a look, a beautiful smile on her face. The smile which drove me crazy. I just wanted to kiss her lips at that point. All I could do was stare at her mouth, so tempted. I quickly tried to cover up my desire but it was too late. Her smile faded but she maintained eye contact. Her eyes travelled down my face to my lips. Did this mean she wanted to kiss me too? She stared at me. Her eyes were almost pleading. Or was I imagining it because I was so obsessed with wanting to kiss this woman? I made a decision. I was going to kiss her. All the people here believed us to be married so this gesture was normal. Unluckily for us, the moment I was about to kiss her, Sir Pride interrupted us.

"If your majesties would like to join us at the table. The first dance has finished but there will be others. You needn't worry about that."

Kate seemed just as disappointed as me about the fact that our beautiful moment had been interrupted. I was also a little angry at the man. I was sure that was the right moment. And I also knew how difficult it would be to find another such moment with Kate. Knowing her, after a situation as intense as the one which we had just experienced, she would hide behind her poker face and I would not ever get another opportunity. I offered my elbow and she tucked her arm through. Then we headed to our seats. All the other people were also sitting down. Once there, I helped Kate settle. I could tell she was struggling with her dress. But she rejected my assistance a little drily. I seated myself in my throne opposite Sir Pride. He looked at me and spoke.

"This is for you, your majesty."

"For me? What are you talking about?" I asked.

"It is time for your speech."

A SPEECH? But what was this all about? I had not prepared anything! What was I supposed to say? Sir Pride had read the look of surprise on my face, prompting me to get up and and act like everything was going to be fine. The trumpeter played his favourite tune once more, then silence fell over the room and everyone looked at me. I drew a deep breath and then began. I thanked the guests for the warm welcome they had given us and also thanked them for coming. I heard Sir Pride whisper to me "the ball is open". I then realised that I had been totally wrong about the subject of my speech. I heard Kate stifle a chuckle next to me. Not wanting to make a fool out of myself for any longer, I quickly announced in a loud voice:

"I declare this ball officially open!"

To my great surprise, everyone in the room applauded. Of course, people would not mock the prince of Scotland. Usually I was pretty good at speeches. But this situation was more than a little unsettling. Finally, the meal was served. As with the one upon our arrival, there was no cutlery and we had to eat with our hands. Two hours later, the meal was finished. The ball recommenced and as before, Kate and I had to dance first. This second dance was much less romantic than the first. As I had expected, Kate had become more closed off. She wasn't herself. The other couples quickly joined us on the dance floor. We dance there for hours but it felt like an eternity. Especially because neither she nor I spoke. Firstly because we were surrounded by people who could overhear our conversation. And secondly because we had no idea want to talk about. Kate avoided looking at me. We were exhausted but were unable to leave the dance floor. Then bit by bit the couples began to leave and finally we were able to finish dancing. We were escorted back to our bedroom then left alone for the night.

"So, who sleep on the bed?" She said.

"We can sleep in the same bed Kate! It is big enough for both of us!"

She looked at me like she didn't know what to say . Then she began to undo her dress.

"Let me help." I said.

"No Castle, it's fine, I'm a big girl and I can undress myself!"

"Kate ..."

I approached her slowly, delicately I began to undo the laces which pulled the dress inwards starting at the nape of her neck. She stiffened a little as I began but she didn't move, letting me help her. Once all the laces were undone and loosened, I returned my hands to rest on her shoulders. I pulled the fabric and it slid so that the dress fell to the floor. She was wearing a corset underneath, so I did not see her naked. And she didn't have her gun with her so I didn't risk being shot squarely between the eyes.

**Beckett:**

He was extremely close to me at that precise moment. I could feel his hot breath on my shoulders. Usually, I would not have allowed anyone to help. But I was paralysed by his presence. I wanted to run away but I also wanted to enjoy fully this moment at the same time. I hated feeling like that. What was these feelings anyway? Love? I was thinking to much but all that thought suddenly stopped when he slowly slid my dress from my shoulders. It fell to the floor. Then he put his hands on my shoulders. I would succumb to the desire if I turned around to face him. But I didn't want to start a relationship with him. Not now. I didn't want to drag him into the messy abyss that was my heart. Not him. I knew that was going to hurt him and I wouldn't be able to live with that fact. He detached the metal cage which I had around my waist and threw it aside. My breathing was becoming more and more rapid, and increasingly difficult. He undid my hair, the curls falling over my shoulders. Then with his hands, he freed a strand that had got stuck to my ear. He stepped a little closer and the corner of his mouth drew level with my left ear, then he murmured in a whisper:

"I love you Kate..."

A chill ran all over my body. He had said it. He had said that magic phrase. And I could not run away this time. I closed my eyes. I could feel him looking at me. He gently put his lips to my neck and kissed. Then he began to move down, his hands slid along my arms too, caressing them. I shivered with pleasure. I turned around, my eyes staring into his. He loved me. I loved him. I was afraid. But I was not going to run away this time. I did not want to run away. Finally after a few minutes staring at each other, he leaned towards me and softly pressed his lips to mine and closed his eyes...

**Aaaaand this as it! What did you thought ? :D**


	5. Chapter 4

**I'm so sorry! I was in Canada and I had to come back in France so I was really busy and I had no time for you. I will try to post the next chapter next week end though. **

**Thank you to all who post some review on last chapter. And thanks for all the follow! It makes me really happy!**

**I like this chapter, hope you'll like it too! Don't forgot to let a little review at the end because it helps me a lot to know what you think about it! ;) **

**So sorry again and happy chapter ;)**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Castle:**

Our kiss lasted a few seconds before I broke the connection. I didn't know if she was ok. She seemed so confused. I watched, waiting for a reaction from her. But nothing. She kept her eyes closed and she had no expression on her face, so I was unable to read her. But I knew that she was struggling internally over what to do. Maybe she did not like me like that and I had embarrassed both her and myself by kissing her. I had to make it up to her if I ever wanted to speak to her again.

"I am sorry Kate." I said, hoping to get a reaction from her.

And indeed, she reacted. She opened her eyes in shock, directing them straight at mine. Then she ran her hand through her hair and pursed her lips. That was good. She considered me a friend and nothing more. I lowered my eyes. I would go to sleep in the bathroom next door and there would be no problem. But I would never do a stupid act like that again with us ... I felt her hands on my cheeks and a second later, without even giving me time to react, she delicately placed her lips on mine. Then she withdrew gently, always with her hands on my face and murmured:

"You needn't apologise Castle ... Rick ... It's just ... Not now ... Well now ... But ... I am afraid to drag you into the mess of my heart and ... And I don't want to hurt you ..."

"I love you Kate. And if I have to get burned for helping destroy your demons, I will. For you."

"Rick, I ... Give me a little time ok? ... I don't want this to move too fast ... And thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything! For being you, for being here ... And thank you for loving me just as I am ..."

I placed a finger on her lips to silence her. I wanted to make her happy, not encourage self-pity. She was a wonderful woman and she should know it. I kissed her lightly on the corner of her mouth then we went to get changed for bed.

**Beckett:**

We lay in bed, side by side. Rick kept his distance. He didn't want to push me. So, to make him understand that I loved him and that I didn't want him to leave so much space between us, I snuggled up against him. After a few seconds, he put his arm behind my head and lightly stroked my arm. It was in this way that I fell sleep, next to him, happy. I spent the night dreaming of the two of us.

I was awakened in the morning by sunlight and needing some warmth. I was cold. I looked for Castle with my hands so I could snuggle back up to him, but I could not find him. I gradually opened my eyes. He was not in the bed. Worse than that, this was not our room. This bedroom was very big but not the one in which I had fallen asleep the previous evening! Where was I? I got up. At that moment, a servant entered the room.

"If Madam Cleopatra would like to come to get dressed." She said.

Cleopatra? Now they took me to be Cleopatra? What was this madness? At first I was a princess and now I was Queen Cleopatra! Was I in an asylum or something? Rick had told me that we'd be back through the time warp that night ... Actually where was Rick? Unless that had actually happened!

**Castle:**

I woke up to the sound of men speaking in the room. I opened my eyes to see who they were and saw two men at the door dressed as centurions. Did they have centurion outfits in the Middle Ages? And what were they doing in my bedroom? Then I did a double take, I was not in the same bedroom that I had gone to sleep in. And Kate was not there! What was this shit? Had we changed time periods in the night? I could not understand! One of the centurions turned towards me.

"Ah Caesar. Your breakfast has arrived."

Caesar? What? Had I become Caesar during the night? Amazing! But if I was Caesar, who was Kate? And where was she? This was the craziest thing that had ever happened to me! Already I was happy to be transported to the Middle Ages and thought that was great experience, but now I was in the Roman Era which was even better! It could be written into the new adventures for Nikki Heat. The story was so original ... Someone was calling to me. It seemed to me that the Romans spoke Latin. Now one came to speak in my native language ... Was I going a little mad?

In short, it was necessary to find Kate. And as they spoke my language, I needed to take advantage of the situation.

"You would not have seen a woman, quite tall, green-brown eyes, with long wavy brown hair by any chance?"

The centurions stared at me for a few seconds, then they burst out laughing.

"You speak of Cleopatra! Haha! That is very good Caesar! I didn't know quite how funny you could be!"

So Kate is Cleopatra! I ate at speed and decided to go to see. My "right hand man", as they called him, came when I rang to leave the bedroom. I explained the situation and he told me that I must initially send a letter. I began at once. But I had to make Kate understand that it was me who was writing to her. The problem, it was not possible for me to sign my name. And I had no time to find a subtle way. I scrawled a feeble trick then I gave the papyrus to my right hand man who left the room.

Immediately afterwards, I had to get dressed in my clothes from this new era. If I complained about the cape in the Middle Ages, this armor was even worse now! These metal clothes added astronomical weight. But nothing would prevent me from finding Kate! Once dressed, I headed in the direction of the stables. One of my subjects showed me the way. Only one small problem, I hadn't the faintest idea how to ride a horse ... But I thought I would be able to figure it out! After all with the number of westerns that I have watched, I must know something. Me, Richard Castle, writer, riding a horse for the first time to go and find the woman of his dreams! And speaking of dreams, this dirty trick of the temporal time warp had made me miss waking up next to Kate! I hoped that she wouldn't be waking up with anyone else, certainly not that mysterious man dressed in black. The centurion who had accompanied me gave me a horse. Well, if one could call that a horse! It was three meters tall at least! How on earth was I supposed to ride that?

"Hello there! You have very beautiful eyes you know? Now how am I supposed to get you ready? ... Seated! No! LYING DOWN!

"But what are you doing?" Interrupted the centurion.

"Euhhhhh ... Eh well I speak to him so that he gets used to my voice."

He looked at me bizarrely. My lie was not really believable! But he put a foot in the stirrup and mounted his horse. Having seen an example, I decided to do the same as him. I took the rains in my hands. Then I put my foot in the stirrup, I hoisted myself up and swung my leg over the back of the horse. Without meaning to, my food tapped the side of the horse who set off at a gallop. I held on as well as I could around the horse's neck and tried to stop him. But I didn't even know his name.

"WOW! STOP! Be calm! Slow down! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

Finally, I succeeded in heaving myself back up onto it's back. The centurion caught up with me quickly and congratulated me on my acrobatics.

"I have never managed to do that. You must teach me one day Caesar!" He said.

Then he asked me to follow him. Luckily for me, I had watched enough westerns to know a little bit about steering a horse. Thank you Lucky Luke!

**Beckett:**

The maidservant took me to a room where my breakfast awaited. They left me alone, with a few guards watching the door. I was not hungry. All I wanted was to find Rick. And leave this world. I wanted my normal life back! One of my servants entered the room and bowed. Then he rose and spoke to me:

"A centurion messenger has arrived, he has a parchment from Caesar for you."

"Let him enter." I replied.

Caesar wrote me now! It gets better and better! I hoped that at least I was not going to have to act like I was with him because my heart was already taken. And if I refused to leave with Caesar then I would change the course of history. I had to find Rick and fast! Someone entered. And he was not a centurion but a guy in a black suit. I was petrified when he entered. Again this man seemed to have followed us through the time fault. And nobody seemed to notice his odd costume for the time period any attention, in fact they didn't pay him any attention at all. It was definitely strange! He placed the parchment on the floor. I called after him but he left quickly and I couldn't catch him. I needed to know who that man was and quickly! I took the parchment, opened it and read inside. It was obvious who had written it!

_Dear Cleopatra,_

_I must present to you my new horse whom I have baptised Kate Beckett._

_I will come to see you as soon as possible._

_Always, Caesar._

Castle. It was he who was Caesar. It was he who had written me the letter. And he was coming to see me on a horse ... How was I supposed to take that? It was going to be quite a sight. Well at least we would be back together again. I didn't touch the breakfast on the table. I just wanted a drink, and there was coffee apparently. I didn't know it had existed in this time. I was led to a reception room where I waited to meet Castle ... Who was now Caesar. It was a large room. A big ornate throne decorated with gold waited for me. To the right of the throne, there was a cage with crocodiles in, where Cleopatra sent people who disobeyed her. I truly hoped that I would not have to make this kind of decision today. I represented justice, I put people in "cages" every day, but not this type of cage! After about ten minutes, the arrival of Caesar was announced. Finally!

**Castle:**

The journey was rather long! It felt like an eternity when I was on the horse. And my buttocks began to feel seriously sore! We finally arrived at Cleopatra's. It was a very hot day and my clothes were not helping me feel any less warm! The centurion descended from his horse in front of the palace. Once more, a crowd accosted me. That was normal: I was Caesar! I was having a hard time dismounted from my horse. My sore buttocks were not helping matters. Finally I fell to the earth, landing on my bum. Luckily, we were hidden and nobody but the centurion saw me. We entered the palace and the subjects of Cleopatra accompanied us to a large room.

I entered. Kate was seated on a grand ornate throne of gold. Once again, she looked splendid. As I entered, all the guards drew their swords and pointed them at me. It was terrifying. Kate, or should I say Cleopatra, ordered the soldiers to lower their arms. Then she descended from the throne and came towards me. I tried to contain my desire to hold her in my arms. She was discrete in public, and it was probably best to keep her like that. But I didn't know how long I could resist. She arrived in front of me, took my hand in hers and led us to the adjacent room where we would be alone. I looked straight into her eyes, the desire rising inside me. The moment I was about to embrace her, she punched me in the shoulder. I pulled away, confused. Why was she attacking me?

"What is it Kate?"

"You came to see me on a horse you named after me?" She asked, irritated.

I looked at her, unsure why she was so annoyed.

"Answer me Castle! And don't try to avoid the subject! I have been through enough recently."

"I just had to make it seem like it was me who was the writer of the letter. I only had five minutes to write it. I didn't have time to find a more subtle way. I am sorry Kate. But it was not intended to be malicious. I was so...

I did not have time to finish my explanations when she embraced me. She told me she had forgiven me and she was happy to be finally reunited with me. A smile bloomed on both our faces, happy to be with one another again. She told me about her morning, particularly when she had come face to face with the man in black. We decided that we would leave to search for him that afternoon. But first we had to find some more appropriate clothes. Our servants led us to a dressing room. Kate was given a thin piece of cloth, tied the same style as those worn by Moroccans nowadays. Around my waist, they tied some baggy trousers, but light, and I wore a t-shirt without sleeves. It was only an hour before it would be time to eat. Anyway, it was necessary to fuel up before setting out to look for the man in black.

**Beckett:**

Castle and I ate opposite one another. The meal was almost romantic. And happened much more quickly than those which we experienced during the Middle Ages. And fortunately so because we had some searching to do that afternoon! When we had both finished, we set off in the direction of the city. Naturally a hoard of guards followed us. Everyone around us was building pyramids for Cleopatra ... Some people were carrying the stones while others whipped the workers to speed up the building process. It was truly horrible! And also it was terribly hot here. One of my subjects spotted us and invited us to come and see the progression of their work. I had no way of backing out honestly but maybe we would to see the man in black on our journey. Rick and I remained alert to all that was going on around us. But nothing. All was "normal" for this time. But who was he? Why was he following us everywhere? And how had we arrived here? I didn't believe for a second that we had travelled back through history via a temporal fault but, at the same time, I had looked in vain and I could not see another rational explanation. We arrived at the bottom of a completed pyramid. The man who had led us then addressed me:

"We have finished the labyrinth, as you asked. We hope that you will like it. If you would like to see as well ..."

We entered the pyramid. It was very dark. There were a few torches illuminating the walls. We advanced a little way. Then, we heard a muffled sound: the door to the pyramid had shut behind us. We were once again trapped in an uncomfortable situation. But at least there was one advantage, it was cooler inside. The thickness of the stones blocked out the heat of the sun. But that would just mean that we were going to die slower, since without water and without food, we would not survive for long. Not that it mattered much since we were going to be lost in the labyrinth. And from what I could remember, it was Cleopatra who commissioned the construction of the labyrinth so that tomb pillagers would not find hers. Very ironic! I was trapped in my own tomb! I sat down against a wall and considered our situation. I hated this! Rick picked up a torch from the bracket on the wall and moved towards the door looking for a mechanism which could allow the door to be opened from the inside. After about an hour, or perhaps more, he hadn't found anything. Obviously, since it was a trap! Then he decided to try and push the stones. I tried to tell him that his efforts would be in vain, but he didn't listen to me. After some time which felt like an eternity, he gave up and came to sit next to me, completely exhausted. We were trapped in a dark space, cold, and with no change of escaping...

**Soooooo? :)**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hi guys! I'm so sorry for the wait but I had a problem with the correction x) **

**I didn't had reviews on last chapter though so I don't know if I'll keep posting or not ... Anyway,enjoy this chapter ;)**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Castle:**

I had tried everything I could think of to find some way out of the pyramid. I hoped to find a sort of mechanism which would open the door as if by magic but sadly that was just a dream, we were indeed stuck inside. After a few hours, exhausted and without finding anything, I sat down beside Kate. I felt her sigh, she seemed a little desperate. Yet situations like this, we had lived through in real life! I decided to raise her morale.

"Don't worry Kate, we'll manage to get out!" I said with a smile.

"How are we going to leave? We are trapped in a pyramid Castle!"

Oh la la, she called me "Castle", that was not a good sign ...

"But look, I am Caesar, you are Cleopatra, there are inevitably people who love us and who will help! And have I ever got myself out of a situation and left you?"

"Well ... One will see ... In any case, we will just have to wait."

She seemed frustrated, I truly hoped that it would not be long before they found us because, to be honest, I was starting to get fed up and I began feeling desperate just like Kate. We had sat against the wall just behind the main door of the pyramid and the flames of the torches began to die down. Brilliant, if one more went we would be plunged into blackness. At that instant, we heard voices outside, just behind the door.

"Cleopatra? Are you here?" A man cried.

Kate looked at me with wide eyes and I could read the relief in them. I smiled at her and she jumped up to stand behind the door.

"Yes I am!" She called in return.

"Very good! And is Caesar there too?"

"Yes I am!" I responded.

"Good, we are going to break down the door, I need you to move as far away as possible".

I held my hand out for Kate and we moved about ten or fifteen meters away from the door. Kate told the man outside that we were ready. Finally, it seemed that we had not fallen into a trap. And when we were out they had some explaining to do! A few seconds passed, then we heard a enormous blow on the door which made the stone bricks start to fall. I kept my hand in Kate's: she hadn't protested when I took it initially and didn't seem to want to let go. I think that in that situation, she seemed to need me as much as I needed her... After a few more noisy minutes had passed, the door crumbled completely and we could at last see daylight. I looked at Kate with a huge smile, which she returned then we moved towards the exit.

**Beckett:**

Outside finally! I really believed that I would suffocate in there. Several men were waiting for us outside and asked us if we were well, and that we had not broken anything or sustained any injuries. They explained to us that the wall which served as a door to the pyramid had to be knocked down and they apologized to us for the frightening experience. I noticed a little way off, aside from the main group, a man surrounded by four guards. Intrigued, I advanced towards them. I arrived at their group and I recognised the man. It was the same one who had brought us here, Rick and I, and it was he who made us enter the pyramid.

"What are you doing?" I asked, addressing the guards.

"Ah well, it is this man who made you enter the pyramid my Queen. Consequently, what happened to you is his fault. He will therefore be deprived of his station and whipped." Answered one of the guards with a neutral tone. "Unless you prefer that he went to the crocodiles ..."

But I was dreaming or something? Since when was this his fault? How was he supposed to have foreseen an accident like that? And moreover, I had to choose whether this man was whipped or given to the crocodiles... I couldn't leat either occur...

"I forbid you to do that." I said to him with a furious stare.

"But ..."

"I don't want to know. That man is not at fault, that could have happened to anyone. An accident like that cannot be foreseen. No one could have done anything to stop it. Now untie him and release him at once."

The guards complied, released the man and dispersed without looking back. The man thanked me, I left to rejoin Rick who was not far but who had not noticed the scene.

"I see that even as Cleopatra, you are always so persuasive!" He said with a charming smile.

I responded with a smile then we headed towards my palace to eat. Upon our arrival, several maids greeted us and asked if we wanted to change our clothes. I was not keen to put a dress back on as I was more comfortable dressed at that time and Rick seemed to feel the same as me. We kindly refused their offer so the servants left us and we were alone again. On the way back to the bedroom where I woke that morning, we walked along a long corridor.

"Kate, I recognised the man in black which we both saw, you think that's the same man?" Asked Rick.

"I do not know. But it is nevertheless strange, I have got the impression that he is following us and that he knows what we are doing here and how to leave."

At that moment, the man in black appeared. He was at the bottom of the corridor, watching us and smiling. We began to run in his direction. He also ran and turned left. I sped up to try and catch him and I noticed that Rick kept pace with me. We turned left, he was a little ahead of us, and we saw him ahead in a new corridor. I saw a door swinging to the right. We continued up the corridor and we turned right a few seconds after him and we arrived in a rather large room with an open roof, allowing the dazzling sunlight in. There were many doors and corridors which led off to every area of the palace. And the man in black had disappeared.

"Oh no, this is so frustrating! He was so close!" Sighed Rick

"Yes, and with the number of doors and corridors that are here, it is impossible to say where he has gone."

**Castle:**

I was really annoyed! We almost had him! And that irritated me more and more. I just wanted to know who he was and why he was following us everywhere. But for the moment, we were expected somewhere to eat. We therefore headed towards the room where food would be served. Arriving finally, everyone was expecting us. A servant approached us and she indicated our places. We sat side by side and yet we still did not have utensils for eating. Well, we had become accustomed to this in the Middle Ages but I was starting to miss eating food with a knife and fork! Kate sighed next to me, I don't think I was the only one to be missing cutlery ... After the meal, a servant came over to us.

"I would just like to inform you that in one hour, you are invited to a gladiator combat. We shall send somebody to accompany you there at the proper time."

I looked at Kate with sparkling eyes, that was going to be brilliant! She read my thoughts and my renewed excitement.

"Don't even think about it. That will not be brilliant, these men will fight until one of them dies. Anyway it will be necessary for us both to concentrate and keep our attention focused on looking for the man in black in case he appears." She said to me rather firmly.

"Very good Miss Beckett." I said to her with a smile.

I knew that she wouldn't like it what I called her then. She shot me a look but she seemed to be trying to hide a smile that I noticed nevertheless. We returned to the bedroom where she had found herself that morning. Upon re-entering, I left to freshen up a little in the adjoining bathroom. A few minutes later, I returned to the other room where I found Kate. She was stood by the window and looking outside onto the landscape beyond. In that moment, she looked simply splendid. The rays of sun lit up her beautiful face and a light breeze ruffled her brown hair. I approached and wrapped my arms around her from behind. She startled a little. I held my breath but I didn't let go. She relaxed after a few seconds, and she put her hands on top of mine. I held her a little more tightly to me and I laid my head against her neck and inhaled her unique smell that made my heart skip. I placed a kiss to her skin and I felt her turn to look at me. I pulled away.

"Is that not OK?" I asked a little panicked.

"Yes, it's fine." She replied with a smile.

Then without waiting, she lent up to me and pressed her lips against mine. I couldn't move for a few seconds for fear of making Kate pull away. But I quickly answered her kiss. It was soft and passionate. At the moment when I began to get further into the kiss, there was a knock on the door. We separated against our will and I sighed with annoyance. Kate, who had heard me sigh, laughed and moved away to answer the door.

"Good day my Queen. I have been sent to look for you to take you to the gladiator combat. Please follow me and you as well Caesar." Said the servant.

"Of course. Wait just a few moments."

"Very good."

**Beckett:**

I turned back towards Rick who hadn't moved an inch since I had gone to open the door. I raised my eyebrows.

"Rick, are you ok?" I asked.

"Yes, I was thinking that's all." He replied with a smile.

"And what were you thinking about?"

"I was wondering whether the boys, or even my mother and Alexis, had noticed our absence.

"Surely yes. I don't know, so much unbelievable stuff has happened to us since we arrived."

"Yes that is true ... Who was at the door?"

"A servant, she came to look for us to take us to the gladiator combat. And she expects us in a moment."

"Then lets go!" Said Rick and he headed towards the door with a grin.

I followed him and we left the bedroom. The maid, who was waiting in the corridor for us, led us outside the palace. A kind of platform with two thrones and a roof made of palm leaves waited for were slaves everywhere, ready to lift us up on this platform. It was them who would carry us to the arena, on foot. Poor men! Once seated, all the men lifted us at the same time to the stage, then we began to advance in the direction of the gladiator arena. Thirty minutes passed then we arrived outside the arena. We descended from our platform to where two guards were expecting us at the entrance.

We were brought up to the top of the arena which gave us an incredible view over the whole enclosure. There were two wooden thrones there which were for us. We sat down in the chairs and the guards behind us shut the door.

The arena was full to bursting and it looked impressive. The people cheered and applauded despite the fact that nothing was happening. Two trumpet blows were heard. The crowd quickly fell quiet and all was silent.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Queen Cleopatra and Emperor Caesar!

I threw a panicked glance at Rick who returned it. I didn't know what I was supposed to do and I began to worry. One of the guards who was stood behind us, leaned over to us.

"It is customary for you to stand and greet your crowd my Queen and you too Caesar."

I looked at Rick then we stood up together and waved to the crowd. Cries of joy resonated from all sides of the arena as people applauded, as a result of our presence. After a moment of waving, we sat back down. Then I saw him: opposite us the man in black was watching us and I saw that he was smiling. Admittedly we were easy to notice considering I was Cleopatra and Rick, Caesar. More annoyingly, it seemed that this man was always out of reach whenever we spotted him.

"Rick! Look opposite us, it is the man in black!"

"On no ... He follows us everywhere and yet we can never get to him!"

The gates to the area opened and the first two gladiators advanced into the enclosure. They saluted the crowd, starting with us. Everyone cheered. They seemed to be well known. In addition, the two gladiators seemed to be friends. The first was big and fat, with red hair and no t-shirt on. The second was a small and blonde and he had an iron cap with white feathers which gave the impression that the hat had wings. Their faces seemed familiar to me. I really felt like I knew those men from somewhere. And Rick beside me also seemed to be intrigued.

"Kate, that's not Asterix and Obelix down there is it?" He asked seeming both surprised and fascinated.

I stared wide-eyed and my jaw dropped! My God! Rick was right! That was why their faces seemed so familiar. It was madness! We were looking at Asterix and Obelix!


	7. Chapter 6

**Hi guys! This is the new chapter that you've all been waiting for :) **

**Thank you for the reviews, most of them make me happy. :) For those who don't like it and don't specify why, well, stop reading it and explain why you don't like it or don't say anything at all ...**

**Enjoy ;)**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Castle:**

I could not believe it. In front of us were Asterix and Obelix! I looked at Kate who had her mouth wide open. She couldn't believe it either. She seemed to feel me staring at her because she turned to look at me. I flashed her a big childish smile, she turned her head and rolled her eyes but she couldn't stop herself smiling too. The gates of the arena opened again to allow two other gladiators to enter. These were the opponents for Asterix and Obelix in the battle. Two trumpet blows were sounded and the fight began.

"Kate, do you think Asterix and Obelix have taken a magic potion?" I asked her innocently.

"You're not serious?"

"On the contrary, what is not serious here?"

"Yes that is a good point."

"You never answered my first question..."

"Well I don't know how to respond, I don't know the answer!"

"Well in my opinion, Asterix took the potion as ..."

"Obelix fell into it when he was little." Interrupted Kate with a smile.

I stared half shocked and half fascinated. I continued smiling and turned back to watch the fight. Asterix and Obelix had fun with the two other gladiators in the same way that they were funny with the Gauls in their films. Speaking of films, I hoped that we wouldn't play out 'Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra' in real life! Although it would be great because at the end of the film Caesar and Cleopatra spend a night of madness together in the same bedroom. Now we were here, that was me and Kate. I would love to spend a mad night with her! But well, it would be better for me to stop dreaming and wait a little bit longer.

After one hour of fighting, the two sets of gladiators were completely exhausted and none of them could stand up any longer. As was the tradition, it was left to the king and queen present to decide which gladiators were worse off. In other words, it was up to us to decide. Whoever we chose would leave, the others would be killed! Kate couldn't decide. She didn't want to be responsible of anybody's death, so, she just didn't say anything and sort of let the decision to me. Asterix and Obelix were of course crowned the winners of the tournament. They saluted the crowds who cheered and then turned to face us greeted us theatrically. They reminded me a bit of my mother. The gates were opened and they left. The other gladiators were carried out on some kind of wooden stretcher.

I looked at the other side of the arena and saw that the man in black had started to leave. I indicated this to Kate and she looked worried. A few minutes passed and then there was a knock on our door. We looked around wondering whether the man in black had come to find us. The guards opened the door. At that moment I held my breath and prepared myself to protect Kate in case something bad happen. Asterix and Obelix had entered our box. They were exactly as I imagined. Asterix with his blonde mustache and amazing helmet with the feathers on in. When I return to New York, I will buy one the same. And Obelix, the man must have measured over two meters. He was so big compared to Asterix. And I had such admiration for his braided red hair. It was really rare to have red hair during that time as hair dye didn't exist of course!

"Ah Cleopatra, and Caesar" said Asterix bowing his head to greet us.

"As you proclaimed us the winner of the fight, we would like to offer you this as a thank you" Obelix said as he handed over a small flask.

"You may need some! Good luck!" added Asterix.

The magic potion! It had to be THE MAGIC POTION! I was going to become the most powerful cop in the world MWAHAHAHA! Well that was if we succeeded in returning to where we belong... And then I won't just be a cop, but with this potion, Gates wouldn't be able to be without me!

**Beckett:**

I couldn't believe this. If this was not surreal enough already, they had come to offer us a flask of that famous magic potion. And they had given it to Rick. By this time I was already feeling rather proud of him, but now I was really impressed! Asterix and Obelix left us alone in our viewing box with a guard. Then he addressed us.

"The combat has finished, I am here to accompany you outside the arena. Would you please follow me." The guard said to us.

It had begun to get dark. We rose from our chairs together and left the room just behind the guard. There were lots of small corridors which led the way back out.

"Keep your eyes peeled Rick, in case we see the man in black." I said to him.

He looked at me with a face that said 'Now that I have that magic potion, I am invincible!' But he wasn't able to vocalise that here. He looked around and murmured:

"And speaking of him..."

The man in black was standing at the end of a corridor, to the right of where we were. He smiled at us more broadly with every step we took. Rick caught my attention and in unison we began to run towards him. This was it! I hoped we would catch him. He began to run too, of course, otherwise it would have been too easy. He zigzagged between the people in the corridor, he turned into new corridors and passed through rooms. It seemed to me that he knew this arena like the back of his hand. Me, for my part, I was completely lost and I didn't have any idea how to find our way out of here. We stopped for a few moments to catch our breath and then man in black stopped too, and stood watching us.

"That's strange ... Why has he stopped?" Asked Rick.

"I don't know ... It's as if he doesn't want us to lose him!"

"It is already night time, we should leave here before all the torches burn out. I can always take the magic potion to catch up with him if you want..."

"I don't want to waste it. We might need it at a later point and we are not that desperate yet. He is a man like us, he has many weak points: we will not let ourselves get beaten by him. Hey, he left!"

Rick set off again, and I followed him. At the same moment, the man in black resumed his course: he must have been listening to our conversation. It was really strange ... I wanted to know why he was following us around, it didn't make any sense! Why hadn't he continued when we stopped? Perhaps he wanted us to follow him ... I really wanted to catch up with him and find out who he was and why he was following us here. And without using that magic potion! I had not become the best cop in New York for nothing!

There were no more people in the arena, it was just the three of us ... running through the labyrinth of the stadium. I thought that we had passed through all the areas of the arena by now but apparently not, since we continued to find new parts at the end of each corridors. I couldn't imagine how big this arena was!

The man in black changed direction and began to run towards the basement from which the gladiators entered the arena. He ran down a flight of stairs at lightening speed, although we both managed to keep pace with him. Arriving below, he headed towards the gates which led to the centre of the arena. They were firmly shut but there was a lever to open them. The man in black reached the lever and with a huge kick at the last moment, the gates opened ahead of him. He entered the middle of the arena. It had begun to rain heavily during the course of our pursuit and a storm was gathering. He stopped on the opposite side of the arena to him. He turned towards us. We were all completely drenched by the torrential rain. He glanced at us. We moved closer to him but he gave the impression that he was just playing with us. As if we didn't stand a chance of catching him. That made me uneasy about this whole situation but it didn't stop me from continuing towards him. We were close to him now. He was trapped. A smile appeared little by little on my face. Suddenly twelve blows of a bell were heard amongst the howl of the rain and storm. Midnight was striking. We stopped running but continued to walk towards the man in black.

"I didn't know the hours were sounded with a bell-tower during Roman times." Said Rick.

"Me neither ... What is this mess?" I said, annoyed.

After the twelve bell chimes the man in black smiled at us, his eyes seemed to be challenging us, like he wanted us to have finally caught up with him. I shot a panicked look at Rick who returned it. I grasped his hand, sensing that something strange was about to occur. A huge thunder clap echoed overhead followed by an enormous flash of white lightening. I felt the ground tremble beneath our feet and then everything went completely black.

**Castle:**

I regained conscience little by little. My head felt awful. I couldn't remember anything that had happened before I woke up. Then everything came back to me. The chase after the man in black, the loud rumble on thunder, and finally the huge flash. I was lying on a rather comfortable bed with Kate. She was also awake and looking at me with a smile on her face. We sat up on the bed and looked around. Where had we ended up now? As soon as we sat up, the ceiling light turned on, emitting a soft orange light throughout the room. There was a small window which looked out onto a city but we could only see the tops of the buildings surrounding where we were. The bedroom was very sophisticated. It looked a little like it belonged in the future, similar to the ones you read about in reports, but no such thing has been created in this day and age.

But yes, that was it! We were in the FUTURE! That was settled, this experience really was getting better and better! I had to go to a library and see if my books were still there and also see if I had written more bestsellers. It was also necessary for me to find my biography to see what happened between Kate and I, whether we ever made it together, lived together, and had a family! I was unable to stop an enormous smile breaking across my face and Kate looked at me in amazement.

"What are you thinking about Rick?" She asked me.

"We are in the future Kate! It is absolutely brilliant!"

"Yes, although I would prefer to be in my bed in my apartment, in 2012!"

There was a knock on the door. It opened. When the 'thing' entered, my heart skipped and a girlish squeal of amazement escaped my mouth. Kate also gave a little cry of surprise at the same time as me. A blue-green coloured creature entered our bedroom; it was very small with large hands and large feet. It had bulbous eyes on antennae on top of its head and it didn't have a mouth. It was wearing the clothes of a maid: with black trousers and a white blouse, both of which must have been made to measure! An extra terrestrial. Aliens had landed on Earth! The _'Thing'_ looked at us in amazement, surprised by our small cries. A strange sound escaped his mouth but a voice translator was hung on his shirt: a synthesized version of his voice spoke to us.

"_I am sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I have just come here to bring you food and then I will leave. Please excuse my interruption._"

Then the _'Thing'_ left. We sat there wide-eyed, staring at the door. After a few minutes, I tore my eyes away and look at Kate, intrigued. She looked at me too, she opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

"Extra ... Extra terrestrial..." She said.

I watched this moment with amusement. The great Kate Beckett at a loss for words after what had just happened. It was a very rare moment indeed! But seeing my smile again, she shot me a look which seemed to say '_I am in complete control of the situation!_' Then she stood up and moved right towards the plates laden with food. Next to the food, something caught her attention. She returned to the bed and showed me an envelope; on the front it said '_Mr and Mrs Castle_'. Kate opened it and we both read it at the same time:

_Dear humans,_

_As direct descendants of the Castle family,_

_we are offering you a free stay in this hotel._

_We will never be able to thank your grandmother and grandfather enough, Katherine and Richard Castle, for allowing us to remain on this planet, and for ensuring the continue existence of the descendants of our species after the apocalypse._

_We wish you only pleasant moments during your stay here,_

_Compliments,_

_The Beckett Hotel_

We had survived the apocalypse, Kate and I had ensured that life on earth continued and this hotel was named after her! This was brilliant!

**Beckett:**

The Beckett Hotel. It was not that I did not like it, I was even flattered but I didn't want to know what had caused the ends of our lives. Already we had apparently lived through an apocalypse and that didn't appeal to me. But I didn't want to be considered as a heroine for something that I had not yet done! I turned to the plate of food to see whether there was anything there that we could eat. We suddenly heard a great commotion in the corridor outside. The door of the chamber opened again and a huge alien entered and moved to me.

"_Evil human descendants of the Castle family! You will pay for what you did!_" The voice shouted through the synthesized voice translator.

He raised his alien '_hand_' and slapped me hard across the face, sending me flying to the other side of the room...

**TBC ...**


	8. Chapter 7

**Sorry guys! I'm like super super late ! I had some problems with the correction ... But I'd like to thank Ruth 'cause she's doing a super job! **

**Enjoy ;)**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Beckett:**

I was in complete shock. I watched the big extra terrestrial move towards me with heavy footsteps and then he lifted me into the air by my neck.

"You think you are powerful because you are part of a wealthy family! But I will prove the opposite you little bitch! There are not many of us who hate you but we can make your life hell. Moreover, your bodyguards are not here today! Now I am in charge!"

He threw me to the other side of the room. I landed hard on the floor and the air was knocked out of me. Everywhere on my body ached with pain and I could taste blood in my mouth. The pain was so severe and I was so afraid that I was almost paralysed by it. I had tried to defend myself but I was helpless against this powerful red thing that looked like it came from hell itself. Its' eyes were glinting and were also red. I felt like I was facing the devil himself. I had succeeded in surviving several attacks called for by the Dragon back in New York. I was a strong woman but up against this thing, I didn't stand a chance. And Rick didn't either. Because after me, I was quite sure that this beast would destroy him too. It once again moved towards me and prepared to land a final, powerful blow when it froze in the middle of the movement. Behind it I could see Rick who had tried to save my life once again. I wanted him to tell him to flee before it was too late, that one victim was enough, but I didn't have the strength to speak. In fact I could barely breathe. A high pitched sound left my mouth, the air hardly passing down to my lungs, lungs which burned with every breath I drew. I was going to die, I felt it, this time it was the end. The total blackness engulfed me for what felt like the umpteenth time during this adventure and I fainted once again.

**Castle:**

I couldn't let that beast hurt Kate any more. She was completely wiped out by the attack and I was hardly better. When he attacked for the second time, I felt the anger rising in me. It was at that moment that I remembered the bottle of magic potion which Asterix and Obelix had given me. I thought it would be necessary at some point during our journey. During the past few days, the impossible had become the possible so why shouldn't this potion work?! I opened it and drank some. I felt a bit like there were wings pushing out of my back. But at that same time, the thing was turning back to attack Kate and reaching up to strike a terrible blow. Without wasting another moment, I approached the thing and called out a challenge to its attack. It paused its movement and turned towards me. Behind I could see Kate fainting. It was all too much. I couldn't leave her like that. Blood was flowing from her mouth and nose. I truly hoped that she had not died! I redirected my gaze to the alien then I punched him hard in the stomach. It was incredible. The thing ended up on the other side of the room. But it was not knocked out yet and my anger against it had not dissipated. I therefore continued to punch the thing, which sent it spinning off in all directions. Finally it fell unconscious. Two seconds later, a group of armed aliens barged their way into our room. Cops surely.

"Please excuse us allowing this alien to enter Mr Castle. We shall carry him off to the prison right now. It is part of a group of aliens who are racist towards humans. But we have almost all of them shut away in jail now. You have nothing to fear any more!

Behind them, I waved over the men with a stretcher which could be used to carry Kate. I told them it was necessary for me to come with her. Well of course, they accepted. They left, running in the direction of the main exit. Why was it always necessary to run? When we arrived, they put the stretcher into a vehicle and I climbed in beside her. A few aliens cleaned up Kate's head for her and tried to get her to drink something. It was a strange bluish substance which I didn't recognise. But I trusted them. They were ambulance workers so they had to know what they were doing. And then it mustn't be forgotten that we were in the future and that their medical methods must be more advanced that the ones from our own time. From my seat beside her, I had my gaze fixed on Kate. A few seconds later they gave her another bizarre drink and I noted that it seemed that the blood from her nose had stopped flowing. All of her skin seemed to have changed, even on her hands. It had all healed so quickly. I wasn't 100% sure but I thought there had been scratched on her hands the last time I had looked. The doctor took some cotton wool and poured on some disinfectant which he then used to clean Kate's face and remove all the blood. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was magic! The skin looked perfect. She looked amazing, almost shining. She was completely clean and tidy, and there wasn't a scar to be seen. The medicines were brilliant! I wanted to try and get some of that stuff to take back to our time. So we wouldn't ever have to fear getting hurt again! A fascinated grin spread over my face. Already I thought that Kate looked amazing all the time, but now, I don't think there are words to describe how beautiful she looked in that moment!

**Beckett:**

I awoke feeling incredibly well. I could hear noises echoing up from the town below. But what miracle had brought me back to life? Had Rick ended up teaching that thing a lesson? No ... Perhaps some reinforcements had arrived just in time. I opened my eyes to see a blinding white ceiling above me. Then a green creature leaned over me. A cry escaped my mouth. I was not safe!On the contrary, they had taken me to some secret cave to kill me! I raised myself up and saw Rick sat at the end of my stretcher.

"WOW! Gently Kate! Don't make yourself ill again!" He said.

"Rick? But ... How ... What ..."

"Shhh I will explain everything to you later!" He offered with a smile.

Then he turned and spoke to the green thing beside us and asked whether we could go. I didn't understand. After all those blows that I had taken, how was I still alive? And why was Rick unscathed? He was supposed to have defended me. How had he succeeded in defeating that thing on his own? I didn't think he was capable of that, but after all, he had surprised me before and would always continue to do so. These extra terrestrials allowed us to leave the back of the vehicle. When I stepped back out into the world we had found ourselves in, I caught my breath. There were buildings higher than you can even imagine, the tops were in the clouds. There were cars flying everywhere, at varying heights. And then there were the extra terrestrials and the humans who were walking the streets, living side by side. Rick quickly explained everything that had happened after I had blacked out. He was so glad that had saved my life, naturally, but he softly admitted to me that he had been forced to use some of his the magic potion.

"That's not a problem Rick, it doesn't matter!" I said to him with a smile.

"Hmm ..." He replied to me sounding a little unconvinced.

"If you hadn't used it, I would not be alive right now ... And neither would you. You used the potion to save our lives!"

He smiled in response and I smiled back at him. Well the next thing to do was to seriously set about working how to leave here. I wanted to speak to Rick about it but a doctor, at least I assumed that he was a doctor as the green thing was wearing a sort of white gown, ran to catch us up.

"Excuse me for interrupting but my colleagues have forgotten to say to you that you need to rest for the remainder of the day." He said in an apologetic tone

I was about to respond when Rick beat me to it, anticipating my reaction.

"Oh very well, I will personally see that she gets some rest. Oh and by the way, do you know what there is to do in this part of town?

"Yes, they have just opened a new cinema at the end of the street on the right." Answered the doctor, smiling.

"Great, thanks very much!"

Rick watched the doctor leave and smiled. I hadn't been able to get a single word in during that conversation. I shot a glance at Rick and he turned back to look at me, the smile on his face quickly fading as he saw my expression.

"Kate, I know that you don't want to rest for the whole day but after all that is what the doctor said, we must listen to him. Lets keep quiet for the rest of the day and let you rebuild your strength, and tomorrow we will find a way to leave here.

I headed in the direction of the famous cinema the doctor had told Rick about. As I turned away, I smiled. I thought it was cute that he was worried about me. However, I wasn't that kind of girl. Usually, I didn't like to be looked after by someone else but I couldn't stop myself enjoying the feeling that Rick's concern gave me. But I wasn't about to tell him that as it would make his ego even bigger than it was already. Rick caught up with me and linked my arm through his. I quickly put on my poker face.

"Kate, where are you going?"

"I am going to that cinema." I told him in a neutral tone.

"Really? Do you mind if I come?"

"Yes really, and no I don't mind. I will rest for the remainder of the day and then tomorrow we can look for a way to leave here."

"Ah I am relieved." He said, smiling.

We continued our walk in the direction of the cinema. The street was rather large and it took us a good ten minutes to arrive at the end. We walked side by side and I looked at Rick out of the corner of my eye. He looked at my hand and he seemed to hesitate about whether to take it. I smiled and took his hand in mine. He looked at me and I interlaced our fingers. The street was very impressive, it was full of flying cars above our heads and the people that we passed were a mixture of humans and extra-terrestrials. It seemed that the two difference races mixed very well. I was struggling to grow accustomed to seeing all these aliens around us.

**Castle:**

We finally arrived at the cinema. I was not adapting well to our new environment. I hadn't found it this hard to adapt in the Middle Ages or the during the Roman Era but now, it was really different! It was normal here except that we were walking next to extra-terrestrials, but good nevertheless!

We entered the lobby of the cinema. There were a few people but not too many. The different posters advertising the films were hung along the walls in glass cases. I moved towards one of the queues at a booth and Kate followed behind with her hand still in mine. There were two people in front of us, giving us time to choose which film.

"So what do you want to go and see?" I asked Kate.

"I don't know, I can't really tell what they're about from the posters. You choose!" Kate said, smiling.

"OK well what about the fifth one, over there?" I said pointing at the poster in question.

"The Chopper is Back? You sure?"

"Yes it might be good!"

"Ok then lets go for it!"

It was our turn, I led us to the cashier who was a blue extra-terrestrial, and just as strange as the others which we had met since our arrival here. We didn't have any money to pay but because we were direct descendants of the Castle family, which they seemed so fond of saying, they offered us the tickets for free. Our screen was situated on the upper floor, so we looked around for the stairs or the escalator. Then Kate indicated a small platform which was a sort of large glass tube which seemed to go up out of the floor. We stopped opposite it, not very sure about this elevator ...

I looked at Kate with an air of panic which she seemed to share, then she tightened her grip on my hand, we climbed onto the platform and waited a few seconds. Then the platform started to rise. I clutched onto Kate and she started to laugh.

"Relax Rick, it is fine! We are just going up one floor." Kate said to me laughing.

**Beckett:**

Rick loosened me but continued to hold my hand tightly. I laughed again, he didn't seem very reassured! Arriving on our floor, we descended from the platform. It must be said that I myself wasn't overly reassured about the strange escalator but, of the two of us, I had been more trusting. Rick was beginning to relax but still held my hand. We headed towards our screen which was situated at the end of our corridor. It had large bay windows which gave us an incredible view over the whole city: it was very impressive.

Rick opened the door with a theatrical gesture, which made me laugh. He reminded me of Martha! After all, he wasn't her son for nothing! We entered the room and I stopped, looking at what lay before us. There were black seats but they were not in stepped rows like they are in our time. The screen was hung about three meters off the floor.

"What sort of cinema is this?" I asked.

"I don't know... But I think it is going to be brilliant!" Said Rick with a big smile on his face.

He led us to our seats and sat down, smiling. He looked a me and indicated that I should join him, which I did. The seats were incredibly comfortable. A few minutes passed and the number of people, humans and extra-terrestrials alike, entered the room. We chatted about everything and nothing whilst we waited for the start of the film. After a good while, the room was plunged into darkness and the high up screen above us was illuminated. The seats began to move then they rose up into the air. I couldn't believe my eyes! They stopped opposite the screen and formed several rows which rose up steadily. As we had sat in seats at the front we were in one of the top rows. This was not too bad. Two little buttons lit up our seats: one to go down and the other to go up. The film began and two other screens, situated on our right and our left, lit up and increased the width of the film projection. The film was in 3D but we did not need to wear glasses like we do in our era. Therefore we really got the impression that we were in the film! Five minutes after the start of the film, Rick leaned towards me.

"Kate?"

"Yes?" I said turning my head to him.

"I think this is a horror film!"

"Bravo Rick! Me, I though that 'The Chopper is Back' would be a film about a love story!" I responded laughing.

"It is not funny ... I don't like it at all."

At that moment, the scene made us both start. Rick took refuge in my arm. I rolled my eyes but smiled all the same.

**Castle:**

The scene made me jump a little! But at the same time, it gave me an excuse to hide my face in Kate's arm, even if that did make me look rather pathetic.

"Rick, don't you want to watch a bit of this?" She said to me.

I raised my head without turning it towards the screen. We both smiled. Our faces were only a few centimeters from each other. Her smile faded as did mine. I could feel Kate's breath on my face. At that moment, the only thing I wanted to do in the world was kiss her. I looked at her lips then I raised my gaze to look at her, asking for permission. I didn't have time to think before our lips crushed together. I kissed her back and we separated to catch our breath. I pressed my forehead to hers and smiled, which she did also. I pulled back to look at her, still smiling.

The rest of the film played out. The extra terrestrials in 3D were playing out all around us, and whenever long knives appeared, I had to hide my face in Kate's neck because I was too afraid. The film made me shiver and I did not know whether it was the film itself or being so close to Kate. At one point I raised my head and noticed that her eyes were squeezed shut. She had to have been scared as well but she snapped them open quickly and acted as if nothing had happened. After what felt like an age, the film ended.

I looking around. All was dark but a few seconds passed and the lights came on. All our chairs lowered and we left the cinema. Night had fallen outside. We headed towards our hotel and on the way, we bought some sandwiches as by this point we were extremely hungry. I couldn't remember when we had last eaten. Just before we arrived at our hotel, I saw a silhouette in the lamplight which I recognised instantly.

"Kate! Look!" I said to her.

She looked in the direction I was pointing and her eyes widened.

"The man in black! We have got to catch him this time Rick!"

Well of course, the man in black began to run. And it was at that exact moment that the electricity failed and the street lights faltered then plunged us into complete darkness. In the black night we quickly lost sight of him. But luckily the moon cast out a little light and we began to make our way up the street to the corner. I indicated to Kate we needed to run to catch him up. But as we began to follow him, the ground beneath us started to tremble. We stopped, I looked at Kate and she grabbed my hand. Again. Barely two seconds later, an enormous rumble was heard, followed by a huge white flash before everything went dark once more.


	9. Chapter 8

**Hi guys! Sorry it took me so long once again! But this is a really long chapter so you'll forgive me :)**

**Good news is that I'm sure that you'll have the next chapter next weekend :P**

**Don't forgot to leave a review! ;)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Beckett:**

I regained consciousness bit by bit. My head felt awful! I was hot, very hot. I couldn't not remember what had happened. Then it came back to me: racing to catch up with the man in black; the trembling of the ground, the horrible rumbling; and finally the big flash. I was lying on the floor and tried to raise myself with some difficulty. Once I was sat up, I turned my head and saw Rick was lying beside me; he wasn't conscious. I began to panic and knelt next to Rick. I placed my hands on either side of his head and I gently shook it. He didn't respond at all and he didn't open his eyes. I shook him a little more abruptly.

"Rick! Answer me! Don't leave me please!" I cried with tears in my eyes.

The panic inside me increased. He couldn't leave me in this insane world! Not after everything we had been through! I leaned over him to listen for signs of life. Rick was not breathing. I began to give him mouth to mouth and I listened for his breathing again. After a few more tries, he opened his eyes and drew in a great gasp of air. I stroked his face and waited until his breathing had returned to normal. I smiled at him and he smiled in return. I kissed him passionately, my fear evaporating!

"Kate, are you crying?" Rick asked.

"I was so scared that you were not going to wake up!" I said to him wiping the tear away that had betrayed me.

"I am ok now." He said.

He smiled his smile that I love so much and I quickly felt better again.

"What are we doing here? Where are we?" He asked looking around the surroundings.

With everything that had happened, I hadn't paid any attention to where we were.

"Oh my God..." I said clapping a hand over my mouth.

We stood up at the same time. We were in a completely ruined place, as if an enormous earth quake had devastated it. The sun was missing, it was a dark night and the moon was a strange colour. It wasn't white, like we are accustomed to seeing, but yellowish. We got the impression that the sun was never going to rise again and it was a very depressing thought! There were no signs of life, which never led to anything good. We were probably the only survivors of an apocalypse. We were left alone standing in the centre of a desolate futuristic city. The debris around us implied that we were alone. One could also distinguish several dead bodies lying in the street a little way along. There was little chance of us finding other people who had survived who could help us escape this place. I didn't know what to do, how were we going to leave this place?

"There is absolutely nothing here! What should we do Kate?" Rick said to me.

"I don't know ..."

"From what I can see, I think we just lived through the apocalypse. And according to the extra terrestrials, this is the moment in which we save humanity!"

"You're joking right?"

"No I am very serious! You see, we are a little like the new Adam and Eve."

I rolled my eyes. He could always find a sense of humour, even in the most of dramatic of situations. He was my joy on the worst days. But I had to admit that his joke did at least lighten the atmosphere a little.

"And now we have a duty to uphold if we do not want the human race to die out ..." He continued with a touch of desire in his eyes.

"If what you say is true, then we have plenty of time to fulfill our duties." I said cutting across him. "And if so maybe we should find somewhere a little more comfortable for that moment?! And I would like to know where we are planning to go!"

It was the apocalypse which had destabilised my walls completely. And what if I was to remain here in this world until the end of time? And what if the purpose of our journey through time was to survive this apocalypse? Because all this could easily have occurred during the three days since we left our own world. And we may finally return to our time only to discover that the apocalypse has already happened. No, it was not possible. All this was going to turn out to be one bad dream which would soon be over.

**Castle:**

Kate seemed a little unnerved by the apocalypse and I didn't know how to make her feel better. It was particularly difficult considering where we were. I put my arms around her and squeezed her tightly. She returned my embrace. I pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"Everything will be ok as long as we are together, I promise." I murmured to her.

"Thank you." She said, smiling.

"For what?"

"For being here."

"_Always_"

She kissed me for a few minutes, then we separated and smiled. Well it was time to go to explore this place. We stood up then decided to find out as much as possible about where we were, especially anything that might help us to leave the future and finally return to our normal life. Not that I hadn't enjoyed our experiences here, quite the opposite! But I was really starting to tire of it all, especially as this apocalypse was really delaying our ability to leave. I was missing Mother and Alexis terribly. Admittedly Kate and I had been brought considerably closer together and it had been great, but this universe was not stable. We had not slept properly since we arrived and I was becoming increasingly tired.

There was debris as far as we could see, and not a building left standing. If we were going to get out of here alive, we were going to have to be patient! After a few hours of searching, we saw nothing to indicate any other life but the more we advanced, the more I began to sense some familiarities and I became more and more intrigued. We hadn't seen any way out or any hint of an escape. Everything was buried under the debris. All was burned and the heat from the atmosphere was making us choke.

"What is it Rick?" Kate asked me who had noticed I was struggling.

"I'm hot..."

"Yes me too. I would like to find somewhere cool to rest. But I can't see anywhere like that here can you?"

"No, I can't either but I have got the impression that I know this place."

"You will find this bizarre but me too." She replied in a low voice, as if she was afraid of where we were, afraid of reality with which we were being confronted.

She looked at me with a light smile then she resumed her search through the debris. I joined her, sighing. The sun had still not risen and the more time passed the more convinced I became that it would never rise again. During the time that we had been here, if it had wanted to rise, it would have done so. It was as if the Earth had stopped turning and that we were on the opposite side to the sun. But the moon was providing sufficient light for us be able to see clearly. Even with clouds floating overhead. As well as rain clouds, the billowing dust clouds from the rubble was making breathing difficult. Not to mention the surrounding heat which didn't make things any easier.

We decided to stop searching there and we headed a little further away from town. After walking for thirty minutes, we arrived at the coast. The ocean wasn't blue, as we are accustomed to seeing, but black. It was rather impressive and very bizarre. It was a mixture of the lack of luminosity, the oil which had leaked into the water and the dust around us which gave the water it's appearance. In any case, the sea's new look made the situation appear even more dramatic. And it also showed that the humans beings weren't the only ones to have suffered in this terrible situation, but that other living creatures had died at the same time. Everything but us. Why us? I did not have the faintest idea. But since it was necessary to live in this world alone, with the woman I loved but no one else, I thought it would have been preferable to die with the others. And what has happened to Mother and Alexis? Truth be told, there was clearly no hope, they must have died with the other. But I would somehow perform a burial for them. To allow me to mourn, and because I loved them more than anyone.

There was a lot of debris in the ocean, many bigger pieces than the others on land. But one in particular drew my attention. It was a statue of a woman. It was a little way out to sea but the form was nevertheless distinguishable. We could only see her head and one arm which protruded from the water. In her arm she held a torch stretched high to the heavens. The head was adorned with a crown with seven points. The statues was a grey-green colour.

"Oh no..." I cried.

"What is it?" Kate asked me.

"Look at that statue in the ocean." I said pointed towards it.

She looked where I was pointing. Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth.

"Oh no, don't tell me that's the Statue of Liberty!" She cried.

"I got the same impression as you, it is! I hate to say it but ..." I said, unable to finish my sentence.

"We are in New York." Finished Kate.

Brilliant, it couldn't get any worse ...

**Beckett:**

It was like deja vu. Rick and I knew this city by heart. We were in New York. Logically. Why hadn't I thought of it earlier? I had never travelled much outside of New York which was why the place before me seemed so familiar: because it was my birthplace. The city which I spent every day arresting criminals. But I would have preferred not to have found myself here. Although I could hardly be surprised that we had returned to our starting point. The adventure had finished. We had left Central Park a few days ago and today we had returned, after the apocalypse. Needless to say that at first it seemed unreal. The fact that we had journeyed through all of history, and then returned here after surviving an apocalypse! But at the same time everything around us seemed real. It was normal that we had returned to New York. It was as if during our three day absence, the apocalypse had destroyed the earth. As if something had saved us and we had been chosen to survive the apocalypse by being made to travel through time. But why and how? No plausible explanation came to me. And if there was one thing I hated, it was that! Not knowing how I had arrived back here annoyed me. It was good to have an explanation! But there was nobody around to give us one. We had been part of some strange plan without any knowledge of what had happened to us. I had to stop myself thinking about it. I was tired, my headache had started again and I didn't think I was going to find any medication easily.

We needed to sleep. It had been a long time since we had had a normal, uninterrupted night. And tonight was probably not going to be the most peaceful. Initially it was necessary to find ourselves something comfortable to act as a bed. Because I didn't hold out much hope of finding an actual bed in the entirety of the debris. A mattress would do. And I could use Rick as a pillow. Then we would also need to eat. But what? And where? I didn't have the faintest idea. Because there wasn't going to be any supermarkets left as they had all collapsed. And without electricity, we were not going to be able to eat anything that needed to be kept in a fridge. But the future we said that we would survived and I supposed we would work something out. Well, if one takes what the future says as true. All rested on the superstitions of a different times and that irritated me a little. I felt like a puppet. I was not in control of my future and I didn't understand anything of what had happened in the last few days.

We decided to set out in the direction of the centre of New York to try and find somewhere to sleep in one of our apartments, if they were not too ruined. After about an hour of walking, we passed in front of the twelfth precinct. There was nothing left of the building except for a few bricks and dust. It was impressive. I imagined the horrible scenes that must have occurred as we passed by there and it sent shivers down my spine. Unsurprisingly, not a single person had survived. We continued our journey and after a few more long minutes, we arrived at Rick's loft. It too was totally demolished. The building had crumbled and there was nothing more than rubble left of the apartment in which Rick had lived. He stepped forward a little to look at the debris. Then I saw him lean down and pick up something from the remains. I approached him to see what had caught his attention and I prayed that it was nothing sentimental. The situation was so tragic already, we did not need to suffer any more than we already had. He must have sensed my presence since he spoke, explaining what he had found.

"It's a photo of me and Alexis when she was small which used to sit on my desk..."

I squatted beside him and put a comforting arm around his shoulders. His eyes shined brilliantly in the night. I did not want to see him cry. I didn't want him to be sad. It would make me also cry. But at the same time, it was understandable; his daughter meant everything to him. And I too had lost someone important to me; I understood exactly how he felt in that moment. He would be asking himself why he had survived and not her. He would probably feel guilty for surviving and not being able to save her.

I too had lost someone important in the apocalypse; I doubted that my father would have survived and I was going to miss him so much. But I didn't have a murderer to pursue this time to alleviate some of the grief like I had with my mother's. And I always wore his watch to remember him by. I had also lost the few friends whom I had. But the person who was most important in my life was beside me at that moment, alive. And there was one positive point: the Dragon had probably not survived the apocalypse either so I could rest knowing that my mother's murderer was dead, even if I didn't know his identity... Unless ... Unless the men in black were working for the Dragon and he had organised everything simply for his own pleasure of playing with me for longer! No! It was not possible. My theory could not be true. At the same time, there was obviously someone behind all this. And the men in black must have been working for that person. I began to feel angry and half paralysed once again with the fear that had stalked me for years. Rick jolted me out of my thoughts:

"You think they are dead? Because I don't see their bodies here..."

"I don't think they can have survived here Rick. Unless they decided to go for a walk in the countryside, I don't think so Rick ... I'm sorry ..."

"It's not your fault Kate. We are the only two survivors in this city by some unknown miracle, I think I knew the answer from the moment we arrived back ... Are you ok Kate? You are completely white."

How could I tell him what I was thinking? I didn't want to worry him with these stupid thoughts that filled my head. But we were unprotected and alone, it was probably best that he knew my new theory.

"I ... I think that it is the Dragon who is behind all of this. I don't know how he knew that the apocalypse would arrive when it did and I don't know how he managed to make us travel through time, but I am almost sure that it is him taking his personal vengeance against me." I said calmly.

"And the men in black were his men and they were watching us?"

"Probably. We will to protect each other Rick. It is absolutely necessary for us to find a place to hide before he finds us."

"You know exactly how to make me feel even worse Kate! If that is even possible right now! But ok, let's go to your apartment and see if it is at all habitable."

"Are you crazy?" I exclaimed loudly before continuing more calmly. "That is the first place that the Dragon will search for us. And here is the second. We need to leave now!"

I look his hand in mine and obligingly he followed, carrying the picture frame with him. I had no idea where we were going to go. In any event, the Dragon was going to look everywhere to find us but I figured he would look where we had lived first. Therefore both those places had to be avoided.

**Castle:**

Kate took my hand and I followed her. I was unable to leave behind the photo of me and Alexis so I carried it with us; my last reminder of my wonderful daughter. I hoped that Kate was mistaken. Because if it was not already the case, I was almost sure it would be very soon because of the Dragon; he never dragged things out for long. I didn't know where Kate was taking us and I didn't know if she knew herself but in any case, she walked quickly and purposefully. We had survived so many things in the past; we could survive one more. But for us to return to the Dragon and Kate's theory, how did he predict the apocalypse? And how had he made us travel through time? It was really strange, and I didn't really believe Kate's theory but at least we had some sort of plan. And it was necessary to acknowledge that those men in black had been really weird. It was like they were playing with us. And God only knows what they were going to do when they had finished their game! Provided that they hadn't been killed on route.

Well now it was necessary to find a "safe" place. I scanned through all of New York in my head for somewhere safe for us to stay. If there was one place in New York like that, it was the NYPD. But unfortunately for us, there would not be any cops there to protect us. And we couldn't go there anyway because we knew it would be one of the first places the Dragon would look for us. There was the White House too. But it was far away at we probably wouldn't make it. The only other place which came to me was the mayor's office. And plus there was an apartment above it where he stayed during the week when he was working hard and he didn't have the time to go back to his house. Well with a little bit of luck, it wouldn't be completely ruined and we could stay there. I suggested my idea to Kate and she agreed to go and see whether it was habitable. But the mayor's office was relatively far from where we were. We were ten minutes from Central Park and there, it would be necessary to cross the entire length the park and then walk a further quarter of an hour until we arrived.

A heavy silence settled all around us. Naturally, since everyone had died. I didn't like the silence; I had never heard New York so quiet and it was rather depressing. But it also meant that the neither the Dragon nor his men were nearby. So it was not all bad. We had arrived at the entrance to Central Park. There, we stopped for a little while for us to rest our legs and to catch our breath. It could be said that Kate had not walked slowly since we had left my loft. Kate was at the point of setting off again when I heard a noise behind me which made me spin around. A man in black walked across the street; he had not yet seen us. I quickly ushered Kate into the park and put a finger to my lips to indicate to her not to say anything. We hid in a bush which was spiky and dusty but our comfort was of little important and at least we were hidden. He passed by the fence of Central Park, looking around everywhere. But with only a little light to search by, he didn't see us and soon continued on his way. We remained still for a few minutes behind the bush without moving until we were sure there was no one else following him. Seeming, the way was clear. I stood up and Kate did the same then she kissed me tenderly on the lips.

"Thank you." She said. "For saving us yet again and for believing my theory."

I smiled at her in response. Then we headed into the depths of Central Park, which looked unrecognisable. It could not have looked worse had it been bombarded by shells. It there wasn't a single bird left singing in the trees nor a single fish swimming in the lake. They were all floating on lake's surface; it was a really horrible sight. I saw Kate turn her gaze away and I did the same. The grass had become an off-white colour because of the thick layer of dust which coated it. The sun had still not risen. We couldn't recognise anything in this light and had we not walked this path thousands of times before, we would certainly have got lost. We passed in front of the swing set where we had met a few months before, when Kate and I talked for the first time since she had left hospital. I watched Kate as she walked over to them and touched the swing's chain with her fingers. A tear ran down her cheek...


End file.
